Budapest

David gave me Budapest for Christmas. You can't help loving a man like that. He gave it to me on a snowy weekend in January, and I loved it. It came with hummus, goulash, and some of the best Italian food I have every had...and the entire first season of The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency watched on our laptop in our snug and swealteringly warm apartment.

I have decided that cities with an impressive river are the most romantic. Think Paris, Washington, D.C., Prague, Venice, Dallas...OK, that may be a stretch.

Budapest also plays the relic game with the big boys as evidenced by this description:

And this picture:

If you look really hard in the center of all the reflection, you can see Mr. Saint Stephen's hand all shriveled up and bedecked with diamonds and stuff. You had to put a euro in a little machine to make the lights come on, but it was a euro well spent.

More proof that river plus city equals pretty cool pictures. We went to see Puccini's Tosca in the fabulously cool Opera house that rivals Vienna and Paris and opted for the super cheapo seats ($2 each) as part of the experience. We changed seats three times and were eventually able to see most of the stage. Anyway, we got to see Tosca kill herself which is the best part, so we fell like we got our money's worth.

I love Budapest--one of my favorite Christmas presents ever.

French Immersion

I can tell that Anna and Benjamin have really embraced the French language. I can tell this because they have begun to fight in French. Not real nasty fighting, but the kind of fighting that starts around 9:30 pm and lasts until they are winded and laughing. It is pretty entertaining. Benjamin pulls out his Tex-French accent and hams it up. Anna plays along and only occasionally draws blood. I happened to catch the action the other night and thought I would share it with you. I hope you are not shocked by the violence. They really do love each other. Benj offered to provide the translation, but I think you can get the gist.

Thursday Morning

I am, at this very moment, listening to an older Scottish gentleman in a tweed jacket, jeans, bright red tie, red pocket square, and an amazingly garish dress shirt emblazoned with red chrysanthemums reading the Robert Burns poem "Tam O'Shanter." Burns sounds really good in an authentic Scottish accent. Plus we get the translation...
It is International Community Morning here at ISB.
Jens is wearing an orange feather boa in honor of the Netherlands.
There are Israeli flags all over the room, and we are now off to the Hall of Nations for Greek dancing lessons.
Top of the morning to you.